Recycled Post and Beam Houses

Recycled post and beam houses like this one often include a mix of reclaimed timbers and locally harvested sustainable wood.
Recycled post and beam houses like this one often include a mix of reclaimed timbers and locally harvested sustainable wood.

We’ve discussed building with recycled wood in great detail in previous blog posts. Use the search bar on the right side of the page to find other articles. This blog post is about using reclaimed/recycled wood and locally harvested wood for the post and beam frame. This includes using standing dead trees that are still solid and blowdowns from storms.

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Reader Questions: How to Build in Walsenburg, Colorado

Hello. I’m looking to build a house in Walsenburg Colorado (6,171 ft. elevation). There are several natural/alternative techniques that I am considering:(straw bale. earth bag. sip’s. ICF. aac.) I am wondering which one of these would get the highest overall score

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Best Cold Climate Building System?

This basic post and beam system will meet code.
This basic post and beam system will meet code.

Question: I dream of building a small eco friendly country ‘cabin’. My location will be in Alberta or BC, Canada. Do you prefer earthbag technique now over straw bale? Site will be a cold climate compared to many of your examples. I do have concerns on moisture and rot for essentially an organic material. — Scott

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Dunne Family Strawbale Update

Dunne family strawbale house under construction -- December 2013
Dunne family strawbale house under construction — December 2013

Jay sent us this tip. The Dunne Family house is progressing nicely. The roof is on and straw bales are up. Plus, they now have a blog. We profiled their project one year ago: Dunne’s Hardware Store …NOT!

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